Ramy Youssef on Sunday took home the first award of the night at the Golden Globes — best actor in a comedy or musical television series — for his role on the Hulu series Ramy.
It was the creator and star’s first Golden Globe nomination.
“Look, I know you guys haven’t seen my show,” Youssef joked at the podium.
Ramy, which premiered on the streaming service last spring, follows a Muslim-American millennial living with his family in New Jersey where his Egyptian immigrant parents grew up.
“It’s a really specific story about one Egyptian family in North Jersey,” Youssef told reporters backstage. “Sometimes, in this specific industry, networks feel like they need to sell something like toothpaste. So getting something like this shows you can really relate to people with something that feels really granular. Symbolically, I hope this allows people to make more stories.”
Youssef beat out Barry‘s Bill Hader, Living With Yourself‘s Paul Rudd, The Politician‘s Ben Platt and The Kominsky Method‘s Michael Douglas In the category.
“My mom, also, by the way, was rooting for Michael Douglas,” the actor confessed to the audience.
Speaking to the extent to which the show depicts his own experiences, Youssef said he took the series as an opportunity take feelings he struggled with throughout his life “a little further than I struggled with them.”
“There are tendencies to make a show of people you don’t know, to make them look good,” Youssef explained. “I wanted to lead with our problems and things people connect on a human level with.”
Youssef’s win also marks Hulu’s first Golden Globe for a comedy actor in a television series.
“Ramy Youssef is an undeniable talent not only as an actor but as a creator, comedian and producer. His unique voice and storytelling brought a fresh new perspective to the screen that resonated deeply with millions of our Hulu viewers,“ Hulu’s head of content Craig Erwich said Sunday in a statement. ”We’re proud to be a home for breakthrough storytellers like Ramy who bring untold stories to life, and can’t wait for fans to see season two of this incredible show.”
Ricky Gervais hosted the 77th Golden Globe Awards, which was televised live on NBC from the Beverly HIlton Hotel in Los Angeles.
